What’s the deal with the giant rubber duck?

Apparently, this international phenomenon — which I and many other people have never heard of before — is making its way across Ontario as part of the 150 Canada celebrations.

This six-story-tall, 13,600 kilogram duck is travelling North America and will be stopping in Toronto on July 1-3, Sault Ste. Marie on July 13-15, and Brockville on Aug. 10-13. It costs about $200,000 to rent it, transport it, and inflate it. The price tag is being partly funded by an Ontario grant, up to $120,000.

As a history major, I’m all for spending money on attractions for Canada’s 150th birthday — but if we are going to spend close to $200,000, can we not find something a symbol of Canada to inflate and place in our Great Lake? Why not a blow-up loon, Canadian goose, beaver, or even a moose head? Anything would be better than a yellow rubber duck, the symbol of bath time. What’s worse is that Ontario had to import this giant disaster from the United States. Although, I guess if you do want to be representative of Canada, importing something we can do ourselves from the United States does fit the bill.

But wait — it gets even better. The rubber duck is being called a copy-cat of an original public art installation by a the original artist, a Dutch man by the name of Florentijn Hogman. It’s unclear whether or not the Canadian government was aware of the different ducks.

Yes — this is how quacking ridiculous this debate has become.

Duelling ducks: one is free art, the other costs $200,000. Which will YOU choose!!!

The price tag, the American connection to this project, and the absurd idea that a rubber duck should be a tourist attraction, is nonsensical. There are much better ways Canada could be spending this money, even if it is earmarked for the 150th anniversary celebrations.

What do you think? Would you go see a giant rubber duck on Lake Ontario? Let us know in the comments below!

Katherine DeClerq is a contributor to Women's Post. Her previous writing experience includes the Toronto Star, Maclean's Magazine, CTVNews, and BlogTO. She can often be found at a coffee shop with her MacBook computer. Despite what CP says, she is a fan of the Oxford comma.

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